1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a securing structure of a heat exchanger mounted on a vehicle. The present invention is suitable for a heat exchanger including a condenser for a refrigerant cycle of a vehicle air conditioner and a radiator for cooling an engine cooling water, disposed closely or integrally with each other.
2. Related Art
JP-A-9-257388 discloses a securing structure (i.e., mounting structure) for securing a double heat exchanger to a vehicle, by the applicant of the present invention. In JP-A-9-257388, the double heat exchanger includes a radiator and a condenser integrally connected to each other by upper and lower brackets. The double heat exchanger is mounted on and secured to the vehicle to be pinched between attachment members of the vehicle in a vertical direction. Therefore, even when only the radiator needs to be detached from the vehicle, the connected radiator and condenser need to be detached from the vehicle. That is, first, the connected radiator and condenser are disconnected from the attachment members of the vehicle and moved in a front-rear direction of the vehicle. Then, bolts fastening the brackets to the radiator are loosened, thereby detaching the radiator from the bracket. When the radiator is attached to the vehicle again, the above-mentioned detachment steps need to be performed in a reversed order. Thus, the condenser and the radiator are not effectively detached and attached. Further, an extra space (i.e., dead space) for moving the connected condenser and radiator in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is required in the vehicle, thereby increasing a mounting space of the double heat exchanger.
Further, in the conventional double heat exchanger, a side plate is attached to each of upper and lower end surfaces of the radiator and the condenser for reinforcement, and the brackets are attached to both the side plates of the radiator and the condenser to cover the side plates. Therefore, when either the radiator or the condenser needs to be detached from the vehicle for repair or replacement, only one of the radiator and the condenser cannot be detached from the vehicle, but both the radiator and the condenser need to be once detached from the vehicle. For example, even when only the condenser needs to be detached from the vehicle, both of the radiator and the condenser need to be detached from the vehicle. Therefore, engine-cooling water is necessary to be removed from the radiator, thereby reducing maintenance efficiency of the double heat exchanger.